I’m Ed Sutton, and I cycled over 55,000km (35,000 miles) across 44 countries and all the continents in the world. It was a difficult and long journey, which took 3 years to cross all the continents, passing through some of the hottest places on Earth.

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Cycling Thailand, part 2, Bangkok to Myanmar(8/3/2016)-Thailand part 2 In this blog, I describe my journey from the capital of Thailand, Bangkok, North, to the ruins of its ancient capitals, Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, and then West to the border with Myanmar, at Myawaddy. There were more highs and lows, I passed the milestone of a distance of 50,000km, …

10 things you learn while cycling the world(2/17/2016)-I’m now in Bangkok, but a week ago, I was in Koh Samui with the man who helped set up my website. He asked me the question, What have I learnt? Well I had a terrible hangover, so my answer should have been “not to go out drinking with you!” …

Cycling Malaysia, Singapore to Thailand 26 Jan to 2 Feb 2016(2/3/2016)-It took seven and a half days to cycle from Singapore, across Malaysia to Thailand. An unfamiliar language, tropical landscapes, ocean views, interesting wildlife, and a mix of strange and wonderful flavours. The greatest thing about cycling Malaysia is that the roads are lined with food and drink stalls, with …

Cycling Australia(1/27/2016)-Australia week 1 Monday 14th Dec 117km Melbourne to somewhere near Seymour Cycle paths out of Melbourne up to Craigeeburn, and then the Old Sydney Road with 15km of gravel road. Tough going and screws fell off my rack as I rattled about. Took a wrong turn but saw some …

Cycling New Zealand(1/27/2016)-New Zealand Day 1 Auckland to Tapapakanga Regional Park 48km A nice day for ducks. I didn’t leave until 3pm. Wet for the first hour. Then the rain went away. I saw sheep cows, goats, but the wow moment was when a bright red parrot flew right across my path. …

Cycling the USA(1/27/2016)-USA Day 1 to Tucson 3rd October about 100km Should have been easy. 100km gradual downhill. Cactus lined freeway was great if you drive a car. Awful shoulder. Bouncing up and down over big cracks. 2 punctures from slivers of metal. A motorbike policeman stopped to ask if I was …

Cycling Mexico(1/27/2016)-Well Mexico has certainly been no joy ride, and my daily struggle to go as far as possible has left me physically and mentally exhausted. The steep ups and downs of the coast have also been matched by an emotional rollercoaster, with many moments where I have considered quitting. The …

Cycling Guatemala – San Salvador to Mexico!!(1/27/2016)-San Salvador to Mexico via Guatemala 28 Aug – At the end of August, I left San Salvador (the capital of El Salvador), and reached Guatemala in one day. I crossed Guatemala in two days, to reach Mexico. For all the photos, and videos, please check out my Facebook page, …

Quick update(1/25/2016)-Since El Salvador, I haven’t blogged but I have only been posting photos on Facebook. The pace has been relentless, and I was too tired to sit and write! I have now cycled through Mexico and the USA to Vancouver, Canada, then from Auckland to Invercargill in New Zealand, and …

The adventure continues: Panama City to San Salvador(8/28/2015)-Firstly a personal note: Having cycled South America, Paola and I got married in Colombia. I can’t put into words how happy I am to be able to share my life with her, I also feel very proud that we managed to do this halfway through my big adventure, and …

Cycling to the end of the world: Bariloche to Ushuaia March-April 2015(5/5/2015)-Here we are, at the end of the world. A few days ago, we reached Ushuaia, the most southerly city in the world and the closest to Antarctica (1000km away) . It has been a quite incredible adventure crossing Patagonia, which involves crossing in between Chile and Argentina numerous times …

Cycling the North of Chile: Antofagasta to Santiago(2/21/2015)-Over 29,000km! According to the world record rules, I could have gone around the world and been back in the UK by now but I am not attempting to break a record- this journey is my own and I love the tough but adventurous route I have chosen. Scroll to …

Rubbing Salt in: Crossing the Salt Flats of Bolivia to Chile(1/14/2015)- We are in Chile! Country 26 of the adventure, and it’s a huge relief to be back in civilization. We have crossed the salt flats of Bolivia, the Salar de Coipasa, the Salar de Uyuni, and the Salar de Chiquana. We have some photos to treasure but I honestly …

Cycling Peru: Lima to Nasca(11/21/2014)-Lima to Bujama beach, Mala 86km Chincha Alta 100km Paracas 60km Huacachina, Ica 70km Palpa 94km Nasca 50km 460km from Lima to Nasca 4,126km in South America 25,634km so far With much less headwind, and even a day with tailwind, heading south of Lima was generally more pleasant to cycle …

Cycling Peru: Chiclayo to Trujillo 19-21 Oct(10/23/2014)-Huaca de la Luna, Moche, Trujillo. A temple dating back to 100AD and a site of sacred importance to the people of Moche civilization where they performed ritual combat and human sacrifice. Chiclayo to Pacasmayo 100km, 19th Oct Pacasmayo 129km (should have been 110 but I got lost in Trujillo), …

Surfer’s Paradise, Montañita (end of Sept 2014)(9/21/2014)-50km from Jama to Canoa 19th 76km to crucita 21st Sep 120km to Puerto Cayo 22nd Sep 34km to Puerto Lopez 23rd Sep 46km to Montañita 25th Sep 326km total 1853km in South America 23,361km so far Well, after I developed a severe chafing problem, we have been resting in …

Along the coast & across the Equator, Ecuador 7-18 September 2014(9/14/2014)-80km from San Gabriel to resort “hidden paradise” 60km to Lita 77km to San Lorenzo 97km to Atacames 5km to Sua 70km to Mompiche 87km to Pedernales 55km to Matal beach, Jama 1527 in South America 23,035km so far From cold windy mountains to hot humid and tropical coastline, (at …

Pasto to Ipiales to Ecuador!!! 3-6 September 2014(9/7/2014)-Pasto to Pedregal 40km Pedregal to Ipiales 37km Ipiales to San Gabriel, Ecuador 55km 996km in South America Country 22 done! We have left Colombia and crossed into Ecuador, country 23! We didn’t love Pasto much. The city was busy and lacked character or anywhere very nice to sit or …

Buying a bike in Bogota (and asking a Colombian to marry me)(8/9/2014)-The first part is an update on the exciting events which have happened since I arrived in Colombia. If you´re just looking for information on buying a bike in Bogota please skip to the second part. The third part is written by my fiancee! Part 1 Romance and drama in …

I cycled Africa!! Arriving in Cape Town 24 – 26 May 2014)(5/27/2014)-55km from Mossel Bay to Albertinia 120km to Swellendam 50km to Athlone (and a lift for 120km to Paarl!) 100km to Hout Bay, Cape Town 21,508km so far! In one year I have cycled from London to Ankara and then from Cairo to Cape Town. It has been an uplifting …

Graaff-Reinet to Mossel Bay 20-23 May(5/23/2014)-Aberdeen 55km Miracles do happen. Graaff Reinet is by no means a big town but it has character and a garage with a bike shop inside. My front tyre was now sporting two rather large holes and was strapped up with duct tape. Not good. I was ready to pay …

Surrounded by Rhinos in South Africa 30 April- 4 May(5/5/2014)-Francistown, Botswana, to Palapye 170km Martin’s Drift, South Africa 100km Gnu Game Reserve, Lephalale 130km Marakele National Park, Thabazimbi 100km 120km to Kokoriba Nature Reserve, (30km north of Brits). 19,783 so far I have finally reached South Africa, and it has already been an amazing and heartwarming experience. I’d seen …

Limping into Francistown 24-25 April(4/27/2014)-50km to Nata 110km (plus 100km in a bus) to Francistown 19,163km of cycling so far. It’s now Sunday the 27th April and I am sitting in Tati River Lodge in Francistown waiting for my wheel to be repaired. I’m bored. The campsite is completely empty. I also have to …

Blimey! It’s Botswana! 21-23 April(4/24/2014)-We are now in Elephant Sands, 50km north of Nata, Botswana. 85km to Kasane 110km to “A touch of Africa”, Pandamatenga 155km to Elephant Sands, north of Nata 19,003km so far We crossed the border using the Kazangula ferry, at a point where Zambia meets Botswana but also Namibia and …

Lusaka to Livingstone 16-18 April(4/24/2014)-It’s about 491km from Lusaka to Livingstone and I did…. 139km to Mazabuka 165km to Choma 187km to Livingstone A total of 18,653km so far… The first day involved two big hills, the second a long gradual climb and the third a gradual descent. All of it was constantly up …

Lilongwe to Lusaka 8-15 April(4/15/2014)-110km from Lilongwe to Mchinji 34km from Mchinji to Chipata 570km from Chipata to Lusaka 18,192km so far Zambia is all hills with long grass and trees stretching out for as far as you can see. The people are friendly and polite, and the constant ” how are you” from …

1-5 April A l-long way to Lilongwe(4/7/2014)-I’ve done 17,478km in total so far. And it was quite a long way to Lilongwe, and unfortunately I arrived the wrong way….on a bus. A major mechanical failure may have stopped my trip but today some nice guys in Lilongwe fitted a new rear hub and cassette. So I …

Chitimba to Nkhata Bay(4/1/2014)-Here’s a quick progress update. The roads along the lake in Malawi have been Paradise compared to the terrible driving of Tanzania. There are just far fewer vehicles here and far more bicycles. 28th March Chitimba 90 km It was all flat and there were beautiful scenes as we reached …

Tanzania to Malawi 14-26 March 2014(3/27/2014)-I’m in Country number 18!!! Hot, humid, beautiful Malawi! The last two weeks riding through Tanzania to Malawi have been both beautiful but at times very tough. We have enjoyed the pleasure of cycling through Mikumi National Park, seeing wildlife, and spectacular views, plus many cups of tea, a cheap …

Kilimanjiro to the Coast (Moshi to Pangani, Tanzania) 9-12 Mar 2014(3/13/2014)-Moshi to Same 106km Same to Mombo 120km Mombo to Tanga 135km Tanga to campsite near Pangani 35km 15,823km so far This blog is dedicated to my new niece Lily. Cycling from Moshi at the base of Kilimanjiro to Pangani on the coast took us four days. The profile looks …

7 March Arusha to Moshi(3/8/2014)-82km to Moshi (at the foot of Kilimanjiro) 15,427km so far We have decided to take a less direct route through Tanzania via Korogwe and Mukumi as the route directly South via Dodoma is not fully paved and I do not fancy a repeat of the North of Kenya. Arusha …

Nairobi to Tanzania!!!(3/7/2014)-115km from Nairobi to Carnelley’s camp on the southern road of Lake Naivasha. 77km to Hell’s Gate and to Naivasha and back 95km back to Nairobi 156km to Mandisa, just 16km short of the border, at Namanga (5th March) 119km to Arusha, Tanzania! (6th March) I had an amazing time …

Crossing the Equator- Isiolo to Nairobi 17-19 Feb(2/20/2014)-Isiolo to Nanyuki 78km Nanyuki to Kambiti (although on googlemaps it is shown as Makuyu) 120km Kambiti to Nairobi 73km 14,783km so far Well here I am in Nairobi, having almost finished Kenya, a country of huge contrasts. Having left the rough roads and insecurity of the “badlands” of the …

The road from Hell. Moyale to Marsabit 11-14 Feb(2/15/2014)-I had heard this was the worst “road” on Earth but I actually now believe it was created by satan and he clearly hates bicycles. Mostly rutted dirt track covered with stones, I just endured the worst 4 days of my trip and haven’t enjoyed a single moment of Kenya …

Drinks in Sudan and Ethiopia(2/3/2014)-In Sudan, like Egypt and Turkey, the main drink is tea or chai. They also have a red drink called Kakadey which is made from hibiscus leaves and can be drunk hot or cold. While cycling we found bottled water, mango juice in bottles, coke, fanta (the strawberry fanta makes …

Addis Ababa, and the history of Ethiopia(2/3/2014)-Addis Ababa is one of the fastest growing capital cities in the world and is a good place to try to get to grips with Ethiopia’s interesting history. I have been trying to get my head around it, especially this century’s political dramas and tragedies*…. Centuries of fighting between tribes …

Bahir Dar to Addis Ababa 23-30 Jan(1/31/2014)-80km from Bahir Dar to Dangla 90km to Finote Selam 82km to Debre Markos 70km to Dejen 44km to Goha Tsion 71km to Fiche 113km to Addis Ababa 550km in total from Bahir Dar to Addis Ababa 13,513km in total since leaving London. Getting to Addis Ababa has been a …

17-18 Jan Gonder to Bahir Dar, Cycling Ethiopia(1/21/2014)-92km from Gonder to Addis Zemen (17 Jan) 95km from Addis Zemen to Bahir Dar (18 Jan) 12,963km so far “Red, Gold and Green, colours like my dreams”* and Ethiopia really is like a dream. (with the odd minor nightmare to keep things real). It’s the 21st January and I am …

9-15 Jan Khartoum, Sudan to Gonder, Ethiopia(1/15/2014)-We have arrived in Ethiopia and the cycling just got very tough. The flat roads of Sudan have been replaced with the punishing hills and mountains. Yesterday three monkeys ran across the road in front of me. Brilliant!!! We still have to avoid all the donkeys, cows, and goats but …

4-6 Jan 2014 Dongola to Khartoum(1/9/2014)-160km to Al Dabbah 250km to sleep in the desert 120km to Khartoum 530km in 3 days 12,014km so far We took the most direct route to Khartoum, the west road, so that we could take advantage of the Southerly wind. The other route via Karima and Atbara is more …

3 Jan 2014 Dongola, Sudan(1/3/2014)-Wadi Halfa to Abri 180km Abri to Delgo 100km Delgo to Dongola (including going off the main road to visit Kerma) 130km 410km 11,584km so far Hi everyone, just a quick blog from Sudan. I will update this and add photos later. The last 4 days have been quite an …

16-17 Dec Luxor to Aswan(12/18/2013)-113km to Edfu 102km to Aswan 11,174km so far I’m currently in the reception of a hotel costing €6 euros per night (€3 each!) using surprisingly good wifi. I am still with Alex Rossello and will be through Sudan and Ethiopia. We will wait here until Sunday because there is …

29 Nov to 12 Dec Cairo to Luxor through the Western Desert(12/12/2013)-100km to an ambulance station on the desert road 150km to another ambulance station on the desert road 135km to Bawiti, Baharia Rest day in Bawiti, Baharia 100km to camp in the White Desert 80km to Qasr Farafra 90km to Abu Minqar (camping by the police station) 100km to camp …

27 Nov Flying to Cairo(11/28/2013)-31km to the airport And 1300km in a plane (I can’t count those for my total sadly!) Today I raced from the centre of Ankara to the airport. I had left it a little late and only allowed an hour to do 31km. with the traffic, it took an hour …

17-27 Nov Hanging about in Ankara(11/26/2013)-After a week in Ankara, I have some amazing memories and some awesome friends. And definitely no regrets. It has been frustrating and more difficult than I expected. But I did at least have some successes and I have finally committed to going to Africa. I have booked a flight …

12 -16 Nov Istanbul to Ankara(11/13/2013)-27km to Bursa 86km to Bozuyuk 90km to Eskisehir 100km to Sivrihisar 120km to Ankara 9527km so far After a long weekend in Istanbul, staying with a wonderful warmshowers.org host, Aytaç, I moved on again. It was great to stay with someone who shares my passion for adventure cycling and …

5-8 Nov Kavala, Greece to Istanbul, Turkey(11/7/2013)-I’m so happy to be ın Istanbul!!!! 160km to Alexandroupolis 120km to a field somewhere near Tekırdag Turkey 90km to a motel near Marmaraereglısı 100km to Istanbul 9104km so far. On the first day I was determined to reach Alexandroupolis. Despite heavy rain I couldn’t wait any longer. The roads …

3 Nov “Nightriding” Thessaloniki to Kavala(11/4/2013)-181km 8634km so far After a night of being sick, I hadn’t slept much and I didn’t leave Thessonaliki until 3pm. And I hadn’t eaten anything. I shouldn’t have even started but I just wanted to get going again. And two German friends Pirmin and Sebastian had found a room …

31 Oct – 1 Nov Metsovo to Thessaloniki(11/2/2013)-115km from Metsovo to Kozani. 140km from Kozani to Thessaloniki. 8453km so far Yesterday Sam and I went our separate ways. It of course involved a manly handshake and a “good luck”. But I will remain impressed by a 19 year old deciding to even try to cycle from London …

28-30 Oct Cycling Albania to Greece(10/31/2013)-42km to a field at the top of a mountain near Buz, 120km to a field in Greece near Ioannina, and 86km today to Metsovo. 8198km so far I had been in the same cycling clothes for 3 days…here’s the story… Albania has been interesting and different. It is a …

24-26 October – Albania!(10/25/2013)-I’m in Berat Albania, and I’ve cycled 118km from Kotor, Montenegro to Shkoder, Albania with Sam the American Eagle and David the kiwi. Followed by 111km from Shkoder to the capital Tirana and then 117km to Berat with Sam. 7950km so far Montenegro was a very pleasant surprise. The bay …

21 Oct Dubrovnik to Kotor, Montenegro(10/22/2013)-90km today 7604km so far Dubrovnik was one of those places that every time I wanted to leave, it just kept pulling me back in. It is a beautiful city and has a charm about it that makes you feel welcome and relaxed. It has been ravaged by war, and …

19 Oct Makarska to Dubrovnik (via Bosnia!!)(10/20/2013)-140km today 7514km so far Today there were moments when the sun shone through the clouds and spread across the Adriatic in a way that took my breath away. The hills and valleys also took my breath away. Literally. They started as soon as I left Makarska and never stopped. …

18 Oct Sibenik to Makarska(10/18/2013)-150km today 7374km so far Today was a lovely day of cycling. The route along route 8 is generally flat, and hugs the coast. I was treated to beautiful views all day. Near Split, it becomes a bit like a motorway but then turns into a nice single lane road …

14-17 Oct Cycling Croatia’s road number 8(10/18/2013)-I finished the 13th with a further 35km (110km total) to the island of Krk and had a rest day on the 14th. 69km on 15th to a b&b opposite the island of Rab 100.5km on 16th with crazy wind to Starigrad. Today, the 17th, 110km to Sibenik via Zadar. …

9-13 Oct Italy to Croatia(10/13/2013)-Boy I’m tired but I’m thrilled to be able to say I have reached country number 7. (France, Spain, Portugal, Monaco, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia). I just found a cafe called “cafe bicicletta” in Rijeka, Croatia so it seems a good time to post an update. It has been raining like …

Back in the saddle 6-8 Oct!!!(10/9/2013)-Lavagna to Santa Maria Del Taro. 36km …. To a field near Piacenza 83.5km Then 122km to Mantua. 6473.5 km so far. Still in Italy… Just 36 km on the first day but I don’t really care. It was all uphill and I left Lavagna very late. All that matters …

11-12 September – Brokebike mountain(9/14/2013)-Just 70km to bogliasco 11 sept And 42km to Vignolo 12 Sept 6232km of cycling so far Anyone reading this who follows my thirsty cyclist Facebook page or twitter feed will know this blog is about an accident. I have put off writing it while I collect my thoughts. I …

9-10 Sept Frejus, France to Savona, Italy(9/10/2013)-129km yesterday 119 km today 6120km so far What can I say about the last 2 days apart from they were amazing? Beautiful beaches, hills and coves. Red hillsides before Cannes and then a long stretch of sand, the ports with their expensive yachts. I actually liked the town of …

5-8 Sept Beziers to Frejús(9/8/2013)-In the last 4 days I have cycled…. 95km from Beziers to Lattes (near Montpellier) on 5th Sept. 170km to Aix en Provence on 6th Sept. 35km to somewhere near Rians on 7th Sept. 110km to Frejus on 8th Sept. I have done 5872km so far and I have over …

4 Sept St Cypriene to Beziers(9/6/2013)-117km today 5462km so far After a great night’s sleep at the very pleasant campsite in St Cypriene, “Le Rousillon”, I got back on the road and headed for Beziers. Mostly flat, I made good pace as I followed cycle paths next to beaches with perfect fine sand. Approaching Leucate, …

3 Sept Roses to Saint Cypriene(9/4/2013)-90km today. 5345km so far. I woke up at the campsite at Roses at the foot of the natural park, Cap de Creus, having slept very badly. The couples in the tents on either side of me had been going at it at 2am and 3am. Not what you want …

2 Sept Barcelona to Roses(9/2/2013)-20km today 185km on 31st August 95km on 24 August 5255 so far. Today is the hardest day of my trip so far. Not because of the cycling but because I am leaving Paola. Travelling with someone gives you time to really get to know each other. We know we …

16 Aug Tarragona to Barcelona(8/17/2013)-95km today 4955km… So far. As some of you may know, I lived in Barcelona for a year and a half. And Paola lives in Sant Andreu de la Barca, so in many ways we were going home. So I should have been excited but I felt very strangely demotivated. …

15 Aug Sant Carles de la Rapita to Tarragona(8/16/2013)-103km today 4860km so far The day started farcically as there was nobody to check me out and take my payment. The cleaner called a guy and then asked me how much I was supposed to pay. He didn’t know how to use the machine for taking the payment. He …

14 Aug El Puig Valencia to Sant Carles de la Rapita(8/15/2013)-176km 4757km so far I realized that although the days were flatter, I was still burning a lot of calories and tiring myself out. The hotel had a buffet breakfast so I filled my boots. I left the hotel at around 10.30 after chatting with a local who had done …

13 August Moraira, Alicante to El Puig, Valencia(8/14/2013)-136km 4581km so far I have to start this blog with a big thankyou to both Gizela and Annie for letting us stay in their villas in Javea and Moraira. Thankyou for your hospitality, generosity, and for your company. It was an amazingly relaxing break from all the rushing around. …

Thurs 8 August Sorbas to Murcia(8/9/2013)-200km 4445km so far. What a crazy day. Partly due to my navigation skills, partly due to the lack of roads with any thought for cyclists, and partly due to huge hills, what looked like an easy day became a sale at a rowing store ( An Oar Deal). I …

Wed 7 August Adra to Sorbas(8/7/2013)-130km today (why do I always end up doing more than it says on the map!!!?) 4245km so far I left Adra at 10am and headed East, along the coast. It was quite flat and I followed the coastal roads down towards Almerimar. I was still quite sleepy from the …

Tues 6 August Granada to Adra(8/6/2013)-138km today. 4115km so far. It’s 28 past midnight and I am shattered. I arrived in Adra at about 11pm. It had not been an easy cycle at all. I started the day in Granada and visited the Alhambra in the morning. It was certainly unmissable. A huge palace, museum, …

Monday 5 August Priego de Córdoba to Granada(8/5/2013)-80km today 3977km so far Priego de Córdoba is a pretty little town on top of a hill. And it is surrounded by lots of other hills as I found out today. Fortunately it has lots of drinking fountains (it is known as “the city of water”) so I was …

4 August 2013 Cordoba to Priego de Cordoba(8/4/2013)-95km today….I always seem to end up doing more than the map says… Maybe I’m like walking around the cafes and bars with the GPS and not realising I’m adding miles… Or maybe it’s all the wrong turns. Anyway…3897km so far. I’m tempted to cycle a bit more tomorrow just …

2 August Ciudad Real to Cordoba(8/3/2013)-220km today 3802km so far Today was a very big day. The hottest day I have ever cycled on and also the second time i have cycled 220km in one day. The map said it was 190km but I went even further. I woke at 5.30 and was out on …

1 August Toledo to Ciudad Real(8/2/2013)-118km today. 3582 so far. From Toledo to Ciudad Real is an area called Castilla de La Mancha, which is most famous for the book Don Quixote de La Mancha, which was a farce about a man who believes he is a knight and goes off on adventures. It is …

31 July Madrid to Toledo(7/31/2013)-110km today. 3464km so far. The word of the day was HOT. And on the road there was simply nowhere to hide from the sun. Leaving Madrid, I went from the North East to the South, and used the GPS to avoid ending on the Autopista. The wierd thing was …

28 July Ávila to Madrid(7/28/2013)-I only cycled 40km today. But I made it all the way from Avila to Madrid. I had been cycling every day since Monday and it was Sunday. But I needed to get to Madrid where Paola was waiting for me, and so that I could rest there for a …

26 July Back to Spain! Miranda Do Douro to Zamora(7/27/2013)-I was going to Zamora to meet Dolores, my colleague from Disney. It was just 60km away so I thought it would be an easy day. So I went to meet up with Miguel also known as Schrek, who was a friend of Tomas, and one of the organizers of …

27 July Zamora to Ávila(7/27/2013)-It was a cool, cloudy morning. Perfect for cycling. Coming out of Zamora I had a long boring flat road. Yay!!!! My legs were delighted, and I flew along at 35kph. Where the road undulated the incline slowed me down to about 20kph but I hit 40-45kph on the decline. So …

25 July Resende to Miranda do Douro(7/26/2013)-Epic. 220km. 3084 so far. The journey along the Douro is one of the most beautiful Routes I have ever been on. But also it was the longest and hardest day of cycling I have ever done. The day did not start well at all. I had run out of …

24 July Porto to Resende(7/26/2013)-24 July 108km. 2864 so far Got up late. I went North along the beach and then past a fishing area along the coast to the Beautiful river Duoro. Where I followed it East, back towards Spain. In the area of Gaia, I went onto a lovely cycle path along …

23 July Valença to Porto(7/26/2013)-I am in Porto. Or Oporto. 125km today. 2756km so far. I woke up under a bridge at 5.30am. After trying to sleep some more, I eventually gave up, and started packing up. It was still dark. So it felt a bit wierd, but I started cycling. At Vila Nova …

22 July Santiago de la Compostela to Portugal!(7/26/2013)-22 July Santiago to Portugal 121km and 2631 so far At 2pm I said goodbye to my new friends in Santiago and Paola, who was catching the train to Madrid. It was a few days later that she told me about a huge train crash at Santiago that killed 77 …

21 July A Coruña to Santiago de la Compostela(7/21/2013)-61km today. 2510km so far. And I am in Santiago de la Compostela!!! It’s a beautiful city and the first stop was of course the Cathedral, where exhausted pilgrims were hugging each other. The day started with a catch up with an old friend, Juanjo, who took us on a …

19-20 July Lost in the mist in A Coruña(7/20/2013)-We spent 2 days in A Coruña, staying at a great campsite in Santa Cruz de Oleiros. It is the second day and after relaxing at the beach yesterday, and trying some of the local wine, Albariño, (a lovely light fruity white wine, a bit like a very good Frascati), …

If cyclists ruled the world(7/20/2013)-If cyclists ruled the world…. 1. The only cars allowed on roads would be “support cars”. 2. Other cars would be restricted to special carlanes next to the road which would be full of crap and stones, and holes, and would stop every 100m, at which point cars would have …

18 July Foz to A Coruña(7/18/2013)-142km and my biggest day yet. I headed south from Foz to Coruna on the N634 which I thought would be easier than sticking to the coast. Oh my word. The first 30km were all uphill. Impressed trucks were beeping at me around the road near Mondeñedo which seemed to …

17 July Luarca to foz(7/18/2013)-82km today. 2307km so far. A very easy day from Asturias to Galicia. It was not so steep and I found the way to get across the autopista bridge from Figuares to Ribadeo. The route to Foz was fairly bland and I saw a house which hasn’t been painted and …

16 July Aviles to Luarca(7/17/2013)-Tuesday 16th July was a late start. I took the train with Paola to Aviles in the morning. Pablo told me that the road west from Gijon is ugly, boring and industrial. So I took the local knowledge and started from Aviles instead. Aviles was a nice town but after …

15 July Hangover in Gijon(7/15/2013)-Yesterday was a “recovery day” for me and the bike. We also did some sightseeing in Gijon and learnt about the importance of Asturias. I woke up late with a fairly dull hangover. You know the ones where you just walk around all day in a haze not feeling yourself, …

14 July Llanes to Gijon(7/15/2013)-Sunday was the last day of cycling with Pablo. He had cycled with his dog from Germany but it was his last day as he was approaching Gijon, his home town. We left the fire station in the morning, and stopped for a photo of the house where they filmed …

13 July Santander to Llanes(7/13/2013)-92km. A LOT of hills. I also did a bit of salsa dancing. And fell off the bike for the first time. I cycled from the region of Cantabria to Asturias, both very pretty and on the coast. But that means hills as well as better views. I left Santander …

12 July Aguilar de Campoo to Santander(7/12/2013)-Today was awesome. The first 40km to Reinosa along the N611 with Pablo and his dog, Hippy was up and down but not hard at all. And I didn’t need to go fast because we left quite early. After stopping for a bite to eat we parted company as I …

11 July Burgos to Aguilar de Campoo(7/11/2013)-A lovely day of cycling the N627 from Burgos to Aguilar de Campoo. 80km with no stops. Fortunately there was a restaurant before i ran out of water. 80km today. 1829km so far

9 July Logroño to Burgos(7/10/2013)-122km today. 1749km so far. A dog on a bike? Una perra en una bicicleta? For real? En Serio? I left Logroño towards Burgos. A nice Spanish guy asked if I was doing the Camino de Santiago and told me I was currently on the Camino del Ebro. Oops. Then …

8 July Pamplona to Logrono(7/8/2013)-100km today in the searing heat. But I arrived in Logrono at 4pm and not feeling too bad. 1627km so far. I took the NA 111 road which has the nice little Camino signs along most of it and friendly people also added some yellow arrows just in case. It …

1-7 July San Fermin in Pamplona!(7/2/2013)-Wow San Fermin is crazy! It’s now the end of the week and I am recovering from the craziest fiesta I have ever been to. It starts on 6th July at 12 mid-day in the Ayutamiento where the “chupinazo” signals the start of the festivities. Everyone is all in white …

29 & 30 June Lazy weekend in Bilbao(6/30/2013)-I am having a lazy weekend in Bilbao. I spent most of Saturday at the Guggenheim which is the main attraction in Bilbao. An amazing building designed by Frank Gehry, which is a free form design but looks part boat, part fish, part spaceship houses 3 floors of modern and …

28 June San Sebastian to Bilbao(6/30/2013)-120km and the toughest day yet. Mostly because I took a route to avoid the autovia and ended up climbing a mountain. I reached a part that was so steep that as i tried to move into a low gear, the chain slipped off and I jarred my left knee …

26 June Castets to San Sebastián(6/27/2013)-I am in Spain! And another 117km ticked off! 1407km so far From Castets, it was a flat road, mostly running alongside the motorway, and with no wind, and lots of sun, the last few kilometres of France were very pleasant. We reached Bayonne and the hills started again. Then …

25 June Bordeaux to Castets(6/25/2013)-After a day off in Bordeaux yesterday, (went to the hospital to get more vaccination jabs, ate, drank red wine, celebrated Ahmed’s birthday, chilled out and sat in the sun), we got back on the bikes today. The morning was a lot of faffing about, buying food, and trying to …

23 June Chalais to Bordeaux(6/23/2013)-90km today and we are in Bordeaux and I learnt a few things. Leaving Chalais this morning having not been able to find a camping site last night it seemed that every town had a campsite. Oh well…. I learnt I should keep going when I feel like quitting. Then …

22 June Confolens to Chalais(6/22/2013)-119km of hills and headwind. We got to Angouleme which is like a city in the sky. I was exhausted when I got to the top. I must admit that the French, probably due to their love of bicycles, are far more kind on the roads. We are always getting …

21 June St Gaultier to Confolens(6/21/2013)-Wet wet wet. And windy. That was the story today. And it got quite hilly. Also we can’t seem to take on enough calories and liquid. Burning off about 6000 every day and it is hard to replace them even though we found an Aldi 🙂 But I passed the …

19-20 June Beaugency-St Gaulthier(6/20/2013)-I was heading from Beaugency ( near Orleans) to Chambord and then Tours. But i diverted my course after Chambord and headed south towards Vierzon to meet up with Ahmed who is cycling to take a bottle of water to the Sahara. I caught up with him by Theillay and …

Tuesday 18 June Mennecy to Beaugency(6/18/2013)-130 km today. 719km so far I set off at 8am this morning and cycled to Etampes where I met a couple who must be in their sixties who had the same bikes as me and as many bags as me. They were travelling to Avignon and had left their …

Monday 17 June Montevrain to Mennecy(6/17/2013)-Monday (day 6 of the trip has turned out to be a day where I have needed to physically and mentally get organised. I have said goodbye to my brother Rich, got up late, been packing and lightening the load and started cycling from mid-day and had to navigate by …

Day 5 Disneyland Paris(6/17/2013)-Day 5 (Sunday) was just 34km East to Disneyland. I was navigating for the first time. I managed to end up in a local park and realized I was lost. Two locals, Ludovic and Guilaume, not only stopped for me but allowed me to follow them. They were on mountain …

Day 4 Compiegne to Paris(6/16/2013)-I was too excited to sleep and woke up at 5am. Leaving the hotel at 7am, I found it was cold and very windy. I knew we only had 60 miles to do so I wanted to get a move on. It was just 8am when I arrived at the …

Day 3 Arras to Compiegne(6/14/2013)-It’s day 3 and the sun is out. After 20 miles we stopped at Thiepval, the site where 19,000 Allied soldiers died and 35,000 more were injured on just one day at the battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916. It was another reminder of just how lucky I …

Day 2 Calais to Arras(6/13/2013)-After the excitement of day 1, we left Calais on day 2, to be met with wind and ominous grey skies. Although I was still excited, the preparation for the trip and the long day the day before had left me feeling tired. The great thing about an organised trip …

Day 1 London to Calais(6/12/2013)-Up at 5am at James Fentiman’s house, dragged myself out of bed and put all the heavy panniers on the bike. Then braved the streets of London to get to BlackHeath. Drizzle and grey skies but I am feeling excited, nervous and just a little wierd because I have thought …

Recently I met an inspiring man……(5/15/2013)-I was recently introduced to a guy called James Golding, who has raised millions by cycling across America, after beating cancer and after a terrible accident. Next year James will attempt to cycle around the world in 100 days, breaking a new world record for a supported ride. With less than 30 …

Rachel Stevens for WaterAid(3/23/2013)-Rachel Stevens from SClub7 fame is the guest on Saturday kitchen and she’s been talking about wateraid… http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2239118/Rachel-Stevens-From-S-Club-slums-Addis-Ababa.html

The bike(3/20/2013)-I had a change of plans and I bought this brand new bike with all the gear. It will be my home for 2 years. The bike and the panniers are all from KOGA, a dutch bike company. It is the brand that Mark Beaumont used to go around the …

Cycling Vietnam(3/12/2013)-In September 2010, I took a trip to Vietnam to do the Vietnam International Triathlon. But I didn’t just go to the race, I cycled from Hanoi in the North to Hoi An in the centre, a distance of around 1000km. I landed in Hanoi with my bike in a …

Cycling Vietnam(3/12/2013)-In September 2010, I took a trip to Vietnam to do the Vietnam International Triathlon. But I didn’t just go to the race, I cycled from Hanoi in the North to Hoi An in the centre, a distance of around 1000km. I landed in Hanoi with my bike in a …

Why do I want to do this?(9/25/2012)-A few years ago I went through “a rough patch” and I was wondering how I could be happy again, and what my purpose in life was. With the support and encouragement of my friends, I decided to pour my energy into something positive… since then I have done all of this: …

Welcome to Thirsty Cyclist(9/15/2012)-This is all about my journey around the world by bicycle…in aid of two charities, Wateraid and Streetchild of Sierra Leone. I leave from London on 12 June 2013 and hope to go around the globe in under 2 years. Thanks for joining me!